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Retail sales rose more than expected in November as holiday shoppers took advantage of falling gas prices and an improving job market to scoop up electronics and other goods. In November, retail sales climbed to $449.3 billion, up 0.7% from October and up 5.1% from November 2013, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Some forecasts had predicted a 0.4% month-to-month jump. The boost from September to October was revised up to 0.5%, from a 0.3% upswing. November's growth -- the largest in eight months -- was boosted by a 1.7% surge in sales from auto and other motor vehicle dealers. If that category is stripped out, retail sales grew by 0.5% -- the same as October. ...

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Retail sales rose more than expected in November as holiday shoppers took advantage of falling gas prices and an improving job market to scoop up electronics and other goods.
In November, retail sales climbed to $449.3 billion, up 0.7% from October and...

Retail sales rose more than expected in November as consumers took advantage of falling gasoline prices and an improving job market to go shopping.
The jolly report for the first days of the crucial holiday spending season adds to other indicators of...

Inside FedEx Corp.'s sorting facility, mechanical arms whir within a labyrinth of buzzing blue and yellow machinery. Cardboard boxes drop onto a conveyor belt with a thud, zipping down the line to be sorted before making it to shoppers' doorsteps for...

This holiday season, it's almost as simple to shop on the other side of the world as it is to buy from a store down the block.International online payment services such as AliPay and PayPal are trying to ensure that a South Carolina fashionista can buy...

USC routed Notre Dame, 49-14, in the regular-season finale, and my inbox filled up -- but not one message was about the Trojans' convincing victory.
Questions or comments about USC? Email me at LNThiry@gmail.com or tweet @LindseyThiry and I will...

Energy and health-care companies led major stock indexes higher on Tuesday, even as crude oil resumed its slide. General Motors rose after reporting stronger sales, and Biogen, a biotech company, soared following news that its drug for Alzheimer's disease...

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be over, but Sprint is rolling out one of its biggest price cuts ever.
The nation's No. 3 wireless carrier, which has rapidly been losing market share, announced Tuesday that it will cut in half the monthly rate plan for...

At a Toys R Us in Ontario, veteran Black Friday shopper Carmen Hernandez arrived before 7 a.m. to grab bargains on playthings for the 25 children in her extended family.
At the top of her list: Packs of Play-Doh for $1, down from $3.99.
"I've...

TRACY, Calif. — This holiday season, Amazon's little helper is an orange, 320-pound robot called Kiva.
The robots — more than 15,000 of them companywide — are part of Amazon's high-tech strategy to get orders to customers faster. By lifting shelves of...

After hitting the malls on Thanksgiving and scouring Black Friday sales, American consumers were back for another bout of retail therapy Monday.
But the shopping day known for big online sales — called Cyber Monday — is expected to draw fewer people this...

NEW YORK — Mounting signs of weakness in the global economy and a poor start to the holiday shopping season knocked the stock market lower on Monday.
Earlier sales, a shift to online shopping and stagnant wages meant fewer Americans showed up to stores...

This holiday season, Amazon's little helper is an orange, 320-pound robot called Kiva.
The robots -- more than 15,000 of them companywide -- are part of Amazon's high-tech effort to get orders to customers faster. By lifting shelves of Amazon products...

Most sale hunters may be searching for the best Cyber Monday deals on furniture, TVs, tablets and more, but there's plenty on the Web for food-lovers. We've compiled a list of some great Cyber Monday deals, with everything from bacon jam to knives,...

In between the nationally hyped Black Friday and Cyber Monday, some Americans did their holiday shopping at locally owned stores on Small Business Saturday. Among those supporting smaller, non-corporate businesses was President Obama, who, along with...

Holiday promotions that debuted as early as October led to a sharp decrease in Black Friday weekend sales, as some consumers took a breather from buying, according to industry data released Sunday.
Traffic from Thanksgiving Day through Sunday fell...

Shoppers descend on malls and Best Buys on Black Friday each year, hungry for outrageous markdowns and incredible deals. But beware. This is the last holiday shopping season before Americans will switch over to the chip-and-pin technology popular in...

Here are nine deals for Black Friday/Cyber Monday shoppers who are looking for savings on hotels, ski resorts, cruise lines and other travel services.
Where to begin? Shop around online to see whether your favorite hotel brand or tour operator is...

The cuts keep coming. Amazon has slashed the price of its struggling Fire smartphone again, to $199 for an unlocked 32-gigabyte version with no contract.
The $250 discount, good through Cyber Monday, comes as the Seattle-based company struggles with...

If you go into travel-planning mode as soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over, knock yourself out with these 10 hotel deals coming up over Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
No need to leave the house to book a $99 room at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego or a...

Well ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Preferred Hotel Group is starting a winter sale on rooms at 110 hotels worldwide that offers a third night free or takes up to half off the room rate.
The deal: I like this sale because it works...